Businesses offered free advice on converting to cost-cutting electric fleets

27 February 2013, source edie newsroom

The Energy Saving Trust (EST) is to offer 100 businesses in England free analysis of their fleets to establish how electrical vehicles could reduce costs.

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The move follows EST's original Plugged-in Fleets Initiative (PIFI) last year, which demonstrated how 20 UK public and private businesses could adapt their fleets to electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

Results of the analysis, published last month in a report called Charging Forward, revealed that businesses which converted their fleets could reduce fuel costs by an average of 75%.

Known as PIFI 100, the latest initiative announced today, offers businesses guidance, detailed analysis and a strategic plan for the introduction of electric vehicles into commercial fleets.

Transport Minister Norman Baker said: "This year, with more and more models coming onto the market, there will be an ever-increasing range of vehicles available at different price points.

"With our new initiatives announced to support infrastructure costs, now is the perfect time to take this opportunity of free support and guidance to ensure that the full benefits can be realised."

As well as receiving infrastructure guidance, participating businesses will benefit from a whole-life cost analysis to compare existing vehicles with plug-in alternatives and an outline of changes necessary to make the vehicles practically and financially viable.

The City of York council took part in last year's initiative and was encouraged to alter its fleet because of the findings.

York's low emission officer Derek McCreadie explained: "From the detailed analysis undertaken by EST it was clear that we had lots to gain by switching to electric vehicles. EST's comparison of our existing fleet with new electric vehicles demonstrated what was achievable in terms of lower operational costs and emissions and a site energy survey by EDF Energy established where and how many electric cars we could charge.

"As a result we are now eager to run electric vehicles in our fleet and can do so with confidence."

Conor McGlone